Neighborhood Thief Caught in Sioux Falls After Clothes Gave Him Away

A 19-year-old man was caught on several surveillance videos trying to break into homes and vehicles, all the while helping himself to a backpack and filling it along the way with more stolen items.

It appears the thief had been there before; the suspect wore the same clothes in surveillance videos during break-ins in December of 2018.

Police arrested Mark Elijah Gbalenchey on Sunday (March 3) at 2:30 AM near the intersection of S. Hendon Lane and West Brentridge Circle in Sioux Falls, which is a newer upper scale neighborhood South of 69th Street between Louise and Western Avenue.

Multiple home surveillance cameras caught the man trying doors of homes, including secondary doors to garages and back entries of homes, along with vehicle doors, throughout the neighborhood.

So far, Gbalenchey has been charged with six counts of first-degree burglary and four counts of criminal entry of a motor vehicle. More charges could be added as neighbors who have not yet been in contact with police come forward with their complaints.

Wearing the same clothes for two of the burglary sprees has tied Gbalenchey as being the suspect. Police say there is a chance the same neighborhood could have been his target on even more occasions.